Beautiful

8. When You Least Expect It

When You Least Expect It.

"The Lord speaks to each one of us in different ways. He might use your mother, your sister, your child, or even your boss. He might just decide to use an unbeliever. God never said that His messages would always come in nicely wrapped packages from your Pastor, just that He'd make sure that you get it" the Pastor preached to a packed church.

"God doesn't do things the way we want them done. Sometimes He does things the way that we need them done. Why? So He can remove all of those things that are holding us back, and expose the things that keep us from Him.

"He's always trying to help us to reach that next level, so He sends us exactly what we need, when we need it, and in His time. We are on God's schedule my Brothers and Sisters, not the other way around," he continued on, a chorus of Amens escaped the lips of the congregation.

"Would you like to come in?" a female usher dressed in all white asked as Tierra stepped into the corridor of the church.

"Hmmm, no thank you. I'm just waiting for someone. I'd rather wait right here if that's okay with you," she responded a bit sarcastically, though unintentional.

"Sure, you can wait wherever you'd like my child. But, you don't have to be afraid. God will meet you no matter where you're at or coming from," the usher encouraged her. She could tell there was a battle going on inside of Tierra.

"Well, I'm not here to meet God. I was tricked into coming here. He knew that I'd never have even come if he'd told me where he was at. So, if you don't mind, I'll wait right here," she insisted.

"Maybe there is no trick in your being here today," the woman replied, and turned on her heels to return to her post by the double doors.

"Not a trick? What does she know about what me and God have going on anyway? Doesn't she know that we do not have anything to say to each other right now!?

"I mean, really, like what would you possibly have to say to me that I'd want to hear?" Tierra thought as she looked up towards the ceiling.

"I forgive you! That's what God's trying to say to one of you right now. I forgive you for forgetting about me, for turning your back on me, and for being angry with me. In spite of all that, I am still here and always will be here for you. That's what the Lord has been whispering to you," the Pastor's message came clearly even through the closed doors.

His words made Tierra's skin crawl. She quickly spun around and peered at the preacher through the small round glass cut out in the center of the double doors. It felt as if he was secretly talking directly to her.

Suddenly, their eyes met through the doors that separated the sanctuary from the corridor. Tierra quickly moved away from his view. She felt like a child that was caught watching a show she ought not to be watching.

"I know that you're hurting and afraid, but deep down inside you know that you're in need of a change. Well, I'm here to let you know today that the Lord says His door is always open to you. Though you've turned away from him, He will never turn away from you. All you have to do is call on Him, and I can guarantee you that He will be there. You don't have to get all religious about it. You don't have to be in your Sunday best, because even your Saturday 'just hanging out' clothes. It's the words that matter. its your heart that matter to the Father.

"Trust me. All you have to do is call on Him. You just have to say, 'Father, I Need You! Help Me!'

"Regardless of how you feel about Him right now, you can't deny the fact that He still continues to bless you, protect you, and maintain you.

"Yeah, times may have gotten rough on occasions. You may have gone though some really rough trials and tribulations. You may have even been beaten up and stomped on by the Devil every now and then. But, if you're still standing after all of that..."

The preacher paused as a wave of the spirit filled the room. He took out his handkerchief and wiped the sweat from his brow before continuing.

"... then the Lord our Father has surely kept you. He never let you fall. He never turned His hand away from you, and things definitely could've been worse.

"So, I want you to turn and look at your neighbor, and tell them that, "The devil hasn't won, I'm still standing!"

Voices could be heard all over the sanctuary repeating the words to those who sat on their left and right. Then the congregation erupted into a thunderous applause and praise.

As Tierra returned to look out through the window, the female usher suddenly peered around at her from the adjacent set of doors.

"You're still standing, can it really be that bad?" she asked, disappearing from sight before Tierra could respond.

Once the congregation had settled back down, the Preacher continued,

"Now, let us pray... Father, we thank you for the breath that is in our lungs today. We thank you for your protection that you always provide for us. We thank you for just being you Lord, and we ask you for your healing in your house right now.

"We ask today that you touch us in the places of our lives that've been bruised and broken. Heal all of those dark, empty places Father, and fill them up with your love.

"I bind the devil and his hands from upon this house Lord, and from everyone up under the sound of my voice. We thank you Lord for our grace, your mercy, your forgiveness, and the victory that we have in you.

"We thank you for your gift of love, and for your Son that sacrificed His life for us. I ask you right now Lord, to search each and every heart around here tonight, those in the pews, those out in the halls, those out on the steps, and all of those that are before you today dear Father. I ask you to especially search out those whose hearts cry out, "Father help me!", even if their lips can't seem to form the words right now Lord.

"Father, I beseech you to search them out and heal them, deliver them from the evil wrath of the devil. Give them the strength to endure through their trials right now Lord, and reveal yourself to them.

"We thank you and we honor you, and we give you all of the praise and the glory. We ask these things as we thank you for keeping us another day, as we thank you for your blessings. as we thank you for your grace, and as we thank you for your Son and his sacrifice.

"It's in his precious name that we come to you. Let the church say...Amen, and Amen" he ended his prayer, the choir standing to their feet and energized the church with song.

Before Tierra knew it, she'd found herself compelled to reply in agreement with the preacher, a lone tear fell from her eye. As she felt its moisture slide down her cheek, she felt betrayed by her own body and quickly wiped it away.

"Don't you even think about it," she told herself, and retreated from the church before Qu or anyone else saw her.